Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-04-11
EASTER GLADNESS.
A. LAY OF Rejoicing in all Chris.
tian Lands.
oommemorating the Resurec.
tlon Of the Risen Christ
WIN Gladness and Praise wo.
shipers Throng the Temn,.s
which are Adorned With the R;cb..t
Of Flora's Gifts.
Inc '"'tors Deliver Sermon. Appropr,.,.
for the Festival.
Inc Pastors Deliver Sermon. Aunro,-.
Tor the Festival.

so agreeable and promising. from th. ..e
''sof OF over four months CT one of the most
severe winters that Maine has ever exne--
ie"ceo' The birds celebrated the event With
Sonp' the sunbeams fell upon the fr,zen f.co
OF the earth, warm and radiant and or.nn,od
with snow banks. The people were Glad ond
r'ooiced' not only over the promise of snr;no
out because of that fairer promise embodied
IN the resurrection of our Savior. and tbav
thronged the temples of Worship with Glad
hearts to observe the festival of Eas,or Tho
strains OF triumphant music were heard in
the sanctuaries which were adorned with r,cb
and spotless bloom Below we not;ce tho
several churches.
ST Marks (EPIscopAL)
Inc Easter floral adornments, although
not as elaborate AS usual. were rare and bean
tnui, ana were exceedingly becoming to the
lhterlor of the handsome new church IN
winch this WAS the first Easter service
heavy wreath of snow white Gala Lilies
crowned the font and wreath of Easter iii.
les white and yellow roses, tuberoses and
mingonette hung from the lecturn. A star of
white and plnks rosebuds, lilies and daises
cleaned on the front of the pulpit The al.
tar was hardly visible from beneath a heavy
oanK OF oright hued blossom and evergreen
follo~lng were some of the chief selec
items rendered by the choir: TIE Deum, Ju
bilate Kyrie and Sanctu.,by Berthold Tours;
Gloria in Excelsis, by Gounod; anthem
"Why do the Heather so Furiouslv R,ge?"
by James Kent; the professional HYMN. the
l)av OF resurrection" from the Lausanne
Psaite-
The pastor, Rev. Walker Gwynne, preached
from III Timothy, ii LIP: at is a faithful
saying, for If we be dead with Him, we shall
also live with him. If we suffer we shall
also reign with Him
This quotation or faithful saying" the
critics tell Us is probably part of an Easter
hymn, one of uany metrical hymns popular
IN the early church The metrcal arrange.
ment of the original shows this 1t needs
but little effort OF the IN igination to think of
many martyr and confessor
in those early days going into
the presence of his torturers with this
faithful saving" upon his lips and this in
spring thought in his heart: "What matters
1t if we di- with HIM? Shall we not live
with HIM? What matters it if we suffer with
Him? Shall we not reign with Him?" And
the facts upon whicd tins confident assurance
is based is the actual bodily resurrection of
Jesus Christ their Lord. That Christ truly
rose from the grave to which Jewish hate and
Roman indifference had consigned him
was seen from the very beginning to be a
cardinal point. In fact everything depended
on it. If it We're false, Christianity was
false. If true, Christianity was
true. "If Christ be not risen"
writes ST. Paul. risking everything on
the strength of that one fact, ''then is our
preaching vain and your faith is also vain"
Foreseeing this fact God has provided that
the resurrection is the best attested miracle
in the whole Gospel history. The preacher
then referred to the evidence of St.
Paul in his LIST Eplstle to the
Corinthians. You remember too, continued
the preacher, the mnute care which the Cos
pei gives to the event, how Christ was seen
and recognized by those who best knew Him.
And we can assume no middle course in
regard to the great historical facts Of
the Gospel They are either true or false.
You cannot accept Cnrists moral
teaching and reject His own state
ments and that of His Apostles regarding
Himself. In closing Mr.. Gwynne said :
To be sharers in Christ's resurrection, to be
| now united to Him by living faith and the
| fundamentally OF His holy sacraments, to
have the assurance of rising from the dead
as He rose, this is the great truth in regard
to ourselves which Easter brings before us.
This is that which gives the christian life its
hopefulness its joy,its unfaling courage, FOR
ut ia a faithful saving, if we be dead with
Him. we shall also live with Him"
UNITARIAN.
The pulpi. was encircled by heavy wreath
IF evergreen decked with geranums and OK
eyed daisies, while on the communion table
stood pretty vases of callas and spirea. A
vase of glowing tulips appeared at the left or
the pulpit and large boquet of Gala and
Easter lilies. and lobelia ad rned the organ
rail. The music was inspiring and at the
forenoon service was as follows;
Merry Church Bells. Lyon
Cantate Domino, 1 nuoN
carol Swe, tly the Birds are Singing, - Nlc,or
Carol, Chris Il Risen, MIS- Oeoo
The Lord My shepherd
The pastor preached from the text; Cor 10
Oh s.Rnt now il Christ risen from the